This year for the 8 ¼ hour I signed up with Craig (craked) and Wayne (Dicko) for the Male Threes as “The good, the bad and the ugly"

Phil, Jos and Michael were signed up as the “Iron Horse Pony Club”

We all put in $20 and the fastest lap between the two teams would take the pot. Our first goal was to beat the Ponies and second was to take home the cash. We achieved the first as the Ponies claimed the fastest lap with Michael doing a 37:30 on his second lap. Well done mate.

Preparation for this one was good when it was scheduled for two weeks after the Fling and when the rain moved it to mid December I thought, great, even more time for training. Well, as the rain hung around that didn’t really go to plan but I still feeling good about it even though I was carrying a couple of health issues going into it. The weekend before I hit Awaba for some time on the Cannondale and posted my fastest time on the red loop of 41:32 so I was feeling pretty good knowing I had a bit left over.

We headed up Saturday to register, claim a spot and do a lap or two. I was keen to see the track after the 60mm earlier in the week. The track was awesome and there were only two puddles and one of them got fixed Saturday arvo.

Come race morning I arrived at 6:20am and started to get ready as I had volunteered to do the first lap. The order was me, Craig and Wayne. I had taken both bikes, a 29er HT and 26” FS. Saturday night I decided to do the first lap on the 29 HT and then see how I go. For me this ended up not being the best decision and switched back to the trusty Cannondale after the first lap.

I started towards the front of the pack and not before long we were off. Flying down the fire road with everyone wanting to hit the single track first the pace was brutal and while still in the first section it felt I had already over cooked myself. As one rider passed me we connected sending us both into the bush. I got started again and just backed off a little but the HT wouldn’t let me rest. I got back with a 41:59 and was surprised because it felt longer. I was only 30 seconds off my fastest time so that was good but then I hear the Ponies are over 2 minutes ahead, crap.

Craig gets back from his lap and his done a sub 40 which was awesome but wait, so has Jos. No worries, we just need to wait until we’ve all done a lap for a true comparison. Wayne now heads off for his lap. It turns out that the Ponies have their fastest rider first and we had ours going last. This meant Wayne was our greyhound and Phil was the hare he was chasing down. When Wayne got back doing a 37:58 (awesome time Wayne) he caught Phil and the Ponies now lead by 0.7 of a second.

I’m out for my second lap following right on Michaels rear tyre. This time I’m on my Cannondale feeling better and every time he would pass someone I would yell “plus another” but he was slowly getting away. The last I saw of him was as I turned left to start Camelbak climb he was half way up. This lap I had only lost 1:52 so in my mind I had gained 30 seconds on him. I had also done my first sub 40 of the red loop so I was over the moon with that.

Craig heads off and does a 38:50. Unbelievable considering he’s riding a 14kg AM bike and I won’t mention his age ;-). Wayne gets in from doing his second lap and his ahead off Phil. I head out for my third not knowing how much head start I have over Michael but one thing is for sure, I’m now the hare.

I wasn’t looking behind me at all because I just wanted to concentrate on the track. As I’m approaching riders I’m just yelling “when your ready”. If I don’t want to pass because its too dangerous or I don't have the legs I don’t say anything. Its amazing though where some people think its safe to pass. I had to tell one rider to keep going as they wanted me to pass on the dodgiest section. I get up camelbak climb and he hasn’t past me so I’m feeling good. Suddenly there’s a rider on my rear tyre and I took a guess and said “is that you Mick”, I was hoping for a no but it was Mick. We were both riding hard and I would pull out a little gap only to have him hard on my tail 20 seconds later. It wasn’t until just after the double log jumps, I exited the single track (passing Dave) blasted down the fire trail that I noticed I had pulled a bigger gap. I can’t actually remember where it was but my legs were gone now and Michael passed me. I think it was about 2km to go. I finished the lap and we were only 30 seconds behind. Awesome.

Now while Craig is out I’m talking strategy with Wayne to get him to do the last lap as he was the quickest in our team. The only way to get that was he needed to do 3 of the last five laps. This meant less break in between so it had a chance of working against us.

Craig gets back and again, sub 40, awesome. Then Wayne goes out for his third and does a sub 40, awesome again. This meant after the first lap our team was doing sub 40. By this stage we had 5:59 over the Ponies.

I then headed out for my 4th thinking it was my last. The first thing I notice is my legs are gone. My third lap trying to stay ahead of Michael was taking its toll. I had nothing and even had to walk some of camelbak. I get back expecting to see Wayne ready to go with the new order but Craig’s there. Wayne thought we were going ok but didn’t think I was going to do a 42:20. The gaps now narrowed but we’re still leading by 2:45.

Craig set out and it seems we’re starting to slow as Craig slips into the 40’s but only by 12 seconds. The plan was now was I would get ready to do the last lap but if Wayne came back feeling good he was going to do a double. Not knowing how far behind Phil was it was looking like Michael would be chasing us down for the win. Wayne got back and without hesitation he sent me out. If he had done the double I was heading straight over to get a burger but that had to wait ;-)

So I’m out for my 5th lap and the teams 13th lap. I was toast by now but I just needed to keep up a consistent pace with no incidents. Then approaching the section where you climb up, cross a ridge of rocks, take a hairpin to the right and then have a long descent there was a rider in front (which I didn’t ask to pass because it would have been too risky for both of us). He decided to move over to the right to let me pass, in the meantime he stopped looking where he was going, collected a rock and OTB’d. I stopped to help and ask if he was ok, which he was so off I went. In the mean time I’m looking for Michael. The rest of the lap was without incident but every switch back I was looking for Michael knowing it was a race to the line.

In the end after 8 hours, 39 minutes and 20 seconds of racing we only took the win by 3 minutes and 21 seconds. Overall we were in the top 10 at 9th.

Thanks to my team mates, Wayne and Craig, and the Ponies for such and awesome days competition.

Also thank you to Choccy Foot for taking on the 8 ¼ hour and HMBA for such an awesome track.

The time splits of the two teams below.

My goal for next year is all sub 40 and maybe a podium ;-)